This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from applications for AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR INSERTING HAIR PINS OF HEAT EXCHANGER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Oct. 27, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 46842/1999, and for AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR INSERTING HAIR PINS OF HEAT EXCHANGER earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 29, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 53475/1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatic assembling a heat exchanger, and more particularly to an apparatus for automatic assembling a plurality of hair pins and a plurality of flat plat fins of a heat exchanger.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A plurality of flat plate fins and a plurality of hair pins are used for a heat exchanger. The flat plate fins are spaced-apart from each other by a predetermined distance to allow air to pass between the spaced-apart flat plate fins. The air becomes cool or heated during passing through a space between the spaced-apart flat plate fins. A plurality of hair pins are inserted into a plurality of holes formed on the flat plate fins. Coolant flowing through the hair pins affects the heat energy of the spaced-apart flat plate fins. Heat energy is transferred between the air and the flat plate fins. In order to insert the hair pins into the holes of the spaced-apart flat plate fins, all of the holes are arranged to fit the hair pins and disposed to accommodate the insertion of the hair pins during assembling the hair pins and the spaced-apart flat plate fins. However, it is very difficult to assemble hair pins and the flat plate fins because of misalignment of the holes and the flat plate fins. Hair pins are bent and dented while being inserted into the misaligned holes of the flat plate fins. The deformation of the hair pins affects the flow of the coolant flowing through the hair pins and lowers the efficiency of the heat exchange.
In conventionally assembling of a heat exchanger as shown in FIG. 1, first and second side panels 10a and 10b are arranged in parallel and spaced apart by a first predetermined interval at both sides of heat exchanger. A plurality of flat plate fins 12 are disposed between first and second side panels 10a and 10b, arranged in parallel, and spaced-apart from each other by a second predetermined interval to allow an air flow to be formed between spaced-apart flat plate fins 12. A plurality of hair pins 14 are arranged in a perpendicular direction of planes of first side panel 10a, flat plate fins 12 and the second side panel 10b and inserted into corresponding holes 18 formed on first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12. Hair pins 14 coupled to first side panel 10a, flat plate fins 12 and the second side panel 10b as one assembly support the assembly. Coolant flows through the hair pins after a plurality of return bends 16 are coupled to a corresponding pairs of hair pins 14 and sealed with each opening 14a formed at both ends of hair pins 14.
In order to assemble hair pin tubes 14 (i.e., xe2x80x9chair pinsxe2x80x9d 14) and flat plate fins 12, holes 18 formed on the plane surfaces of first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12 are arranged and aligned in predetermined height and interval for allowing a pair of openings 14a of hair pins 14 to be inserted into a pair of holes 18. In addition, because each of a plurality of hair pins 14 is shaped with a bent portion 14b in the middle of the total length of hair pin 14, straight portions 14c of hair pin 14 should be kept in parallel. The distance between openings 14a should be same as the distance between end portions 16a of return bends 16 in order to precisely connect end portions 16a of return bends 16 to openings 14a of hair pin 14 after hair pin 14 has been inserted through holes 18 of first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12. The hair pins 14, however, are deformed after being assembled with first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12 because of the lack of the accurate and precise alignment of the first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12.
Reference numeral 20 indicates a plurality of moving units used for arranging first and second side panels 10a and 10b and a plurality of flat plate fins 12 in a predetermined interval and carrying and locating first and second edge panels 10a and 10b and a plurality of flat plate fins 12 on a following assembling line, and manually assembling hair pins 14 and first and second side panels 10a and 10b and a plurality of flat plate fins 12. Each of moving units 20 includes a block 22 like a holding knob and a pair of insertion rods 24 symmetrically fixed in a predetermined interval at one side of the block 22. Moving units 20 are temporarily inserted through holes 18 in order to carry first and second side panels 10a and 10b and a plurality of flat plate fins 12 to the assembling line. Moving units 20 are separately manufactured and assembled temporarily through holes 18. When a predetermined number of hair pins 14 are inserted through holes 18 of the flat plate fins 12, moving units 20 are removed from the flat plate fins 12. A pair of hair pins are inserted into holes into which moving units 20 have been manually inserted and from which moving units 20 has been manually removed.
The conventional method of manually inserting hair pins 14 into first and second side panels 10a and 10b and flat plate fins 12 causes the inefficiency of the assembling process and prevents a mass production of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, an internal diameter of holes 18 and an external diameter of opening 14a of hair pins 14 are rubbed against each other during manually inserting hair pin 14 into holes 18 to cause opening 14a to be deformed and the diameter of opening 14a to be changed. Therefore, the diameters of hair pin 14 does not become uniformed, and the opening 14a of hair pins 14 does not fit each of return bends 16.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus suitable to a mass production and an automatic assembly of a heat exchanger.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to automatically and simultaneously assemble a plurality of flat plate fins and a plurality of hair pins.
It is yet another object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to align flat plate fins and hair pins.
It is still another object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to prevent deformation of hair pins during insertion of hair pin into holes formed on flat plate fins. It is a further object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to maintain hair pins without being dented and bent during assembly of hair pins and the flat plate fins.
It is also object to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus able to prevent the deterioration of the coolant flow and lowering the efficiency of heat exchange.
These and other objects may be achieved by providing a heat exchanger assembling apparatus including a working station on which a heat exchanger with first and second edge panels and a plurality of flat plate fins is seated, a heat exchanger clamp unit installed at both sides of the heat exchanger for clamping both sides of the heat exchanger placed on the working station, a hair pin guiding unit located at one side of the heat exchanger and in a predetermined distance from one side of the working station and having a plurality of guiding rods being inserted through a plurality of holes formed on the flat plate fins and protruding from the other side of the heat exchanger through the holes so as to correspondingly opening in hair pins located on the other side of the heat exchanger, a hair pin pushing unit installed at the other side of the heat exchanger on the opposite side of the hair pin guiding unit of the working station, with the heat exchanger being placed between the hair pin guides and the hair pin push unit, and pushing and inserting the open end portions of a predetermined number of hair pins through the holes, and hair pin guide plates installed between both the heat exchanger and the hair pin pushing unit on the working station for accurately positioning a predetermined number of hair pins.